Footboard for motor-vehicles.



G. R. DOBBINS' FOOTBOARD FOR MOTOR YEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. I918.

' Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

barrel) s rne ra nee o n.

GEORGE E. DOIBBINS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-.THTRD TO ARTHUR C. RUPP, OE ILOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FOOTBOARD FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application filed March 7, 1913. Serial No. 220,957.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Donnnzs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State/of California, have invented a new antl useful l ootboard for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is to increase the safety of driving "automobiles.

Another object is to provide a foot board which will not readily become displaced and yet one that can be readily removed when occasion demands. I

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined'detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in which Figure l is a fragmental perspective view of an automobile equipped with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved footboard.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation on the line indicated by mm Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the detachable.

slotted plate.

' Fig. 5 is an edge view of the clamping strip.

The foot board comprises a floor member 1, preferably formed from a single piece of material and said member may be made of wood. If made of more than one piece the pieces will be fastened together sons in effect to form a single member. The floor member 1 is provided near one end with a large open- .ing 2 through which the pedals I), l, 5 of the automobile project. Fastened by screws (3, or equivalents, along the lower margin of th opening 2 is a clamping strip 7 having slots 8, S). The clamping strip 7 may be provided with a lip 10 flush with the lower margin of the opening 2 and projecting forward beyond the forward ends of the slots 8, 9. Thus the clamping strip 7 is fixed to the floor member 1.

Inserted in the slots 8, 9 are finger portions 11, 12 respectively of av slotted plate indicated in general by the character 13. The slotted plate 13 is slightly larger than the opening 2 so as to rest on the margins of the openin The slots are indicated at 14, 15, 16 and said slots accommodate the foot pedals 3, 4; and 5respective1y when the plate is in tlSStll'lblQtl position over the opening 'lhe-plate 13 is provided with other means than the clamping strip 7 to aid in holding the plate'in place and in the instance shown in the drawings the said fastening means are constructed as follows:

The plate is provided near its upper margin with a hole 17 through which projects a stud formed in this instance by a bolt 18, there being a wing nut 19 threaded on to the stud against the upper face of the plate to hold the said plate on the stud.

Foot boards of prior construction are often formed with the floor member in two pieces, each piece having thenecessary slots to accommodate the foot pedals, and the pieces frequently jar loose and become relatively displaced so that. there is danger of the foot pedals catching on the uneven edges of the slots thus produced. The floor members thus made in two pieces are so made ln'order that they may be readily detached from and insertedin the automobile body so that access may be had tdthe automobile parts beneath the foot board when occasion demands.

To detach the foot board above described remove thc pedals 3, 4, 5 from the slots 14, 15, 1(3, and then the floor member 1 will be raised and removed from the automoblle, as-

is readily understood.

Reversal of the foregoing described opera tions' will position the foot board in place and, since the floor member 1 consists of a single member cut to fit the opening designed to receive it,'it is clear that it will remain in place, even without fastening it, though if desired the floor member may be fastened by screws or nails to the body of the automobile to insure against rattling of the foot board. I I

\Vhen the foot board above described is in position in an automobile it is clear that the pedals will not be'interfered with in any manner by the foot board and this is important since many serious accidents have resulted owing to the fact that many prior foot boards have become accidentally displaced and interfered with the operation of the foot. pedals. i

The device thus constructed is simple to manufacture and operate and yet is very effective in practical use.

I claim:

1. Afoot board comprising a floor member having an opening, a clamping-strip ha'ving a slot and fastened to the floor member along one margin of the opening, a slotted plate engaging the slot of the clamping strip, and means to hold the slotted plate rom movement away from the clamping strip.

A foot board comprising a floor member having an opening, a clamping strip having a slot and fastened to the floor member along one margin of the opening, a slotted plate engaging the slot of the clamping strip and provided with a'hole, a stud projecting from the upper faceof the floor member through the hole in the plate, and a nut on the projecting end of the stud,

v 3. A foot board comprising a floor memher having an opening. a clamping strip extending along one margin of the opening and fastened to the floor members, a slotted plate having one edge engaging the clamping strip, and means adjacent the opposite edge of the plate to detachably fasten the plate to the floor member.

4. A foot hoard comprising a one-piece floor member having an opening spaced from the marginal portions of the floor member, a single one-piece slotted plate over the opening and resting on the marginal portions of the opening, the slots extending through one edge of the plate, and means detachably fastening opposite edges of the slotted plate to the floor member. Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 1st day of March, 1918.

GEORGE R. DOBBINS. l'Vitnesses:

GEORGE H. HILEs, L. BELLE lVEAvEn. 

